Øya taps Jack White to replace QOTSA as headliner
Norway’s Øya Festival has confirmed that Jack White will replace Queens of the Stone Age as headliner of its 25th anniversary edition.
QOTSA have cancelled a further slate of European festival dates due to frontman Josh Homme requiring “continued medical care” at home in the US.
As well as Øya (9 August), the band have pulled out of slots at Sweden’s Way Out West (8 August), Denmark’s Syd for Solen (10 August), Caberet Vert in France (15 August), Lowlands in the Netherlands (16 August), Belgium’s Pukkelpop (18 August) and Portugal’s Villar de Mouros.
“Due to continued medical care, it is under doctors’ orders that Josh Homme remain in their care in the United States,” says a statement posted on social media. “The Homme family and QOTSA are so grateful for the outpouring of well wishes and kind understanding during this time.”
The rock group previously cancelled a run of July festival dates earlier this month after announcing Homme needed to “return to the United States immediately for emergency surgery”.
Air will replace The Smile, who cancelled their August European tour after multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood was hospitalised
Jack White will headline the Friday night of Oslo-based Øya, which has also revealed that Air will replace The Smile on the bill on the same day. The French electronic music duo will play their debut album Moon Safari in full.
The Smile were also recently forced to cancel their August European tour dates after multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood was hospitalised with an infection.
Set for 6-10 August, Øya will also be headlined by PJ Harvey and Pulp, Janelle Monáe and Gabrielle. Other names performing include The Kills, Vince Staples, The National, Slowdive, Big Thief, Arca, Sampha and Idles.
Organisers say this year’s festival is close to selling out, with fewer than 1,000 day tickets remaining for Friday and 400 for Saturday, while week passes are already sold out.
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600k tickets sold in 60 mins for Ed Sheeran tour
Ed Sheeran has added extra tour dates to his 2025 European +–=÷× (Mathematics) Tour after selling more than 600,000 tickets in an hour.
Due to demand, promoter FKP Scorpio has announced second nights in Germany at Stuttgart’s MHP Arena (28 June), Volksparkstadion in Hamburg (7 July) and Merkur Spiel-Arena, Dusseldorf (6 September), as well as in Norway at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadion (27 July), in Belgium at Antwerp’s Middenvijver Park (7 August) and in Sweden at Strawberry Arena, Stockholm.
Sheeran will set a new concert attendance record with his Norway gigs, with 36,000 fans set to flock to the stadium per night. It has previously hosted up to 31,000 fans. FKP Scorpio Norway’s Tim Salvesen says that organisers have been “overwhelmed” by the response since come since last Friday’s announcement.
“In collaboration with Ed Sheeran’s team and with good help from Ullevaal Stadium, we are really happy to be able to put on another concert next summer,” Salvesen tells VartOslo.
Sheeran will also perform a second show in Zurich at Stadion Letzigrund on 3 August in cooperation with All Blues/TAKK, and a third date at Copenhagen’s Øresundsparken in Denmark on 31 August with Smash!Bang!Pow!
The Mathematics Tour was the seventh highest-grossing tour of 2023, according to Pollstar
Held in support of the singer-songwriter’s = (2021) and – (2023) albums, the 131-date tour launched in Ireland at Croke Park, Dublin in April 2022. The trek was the seventh highest-grossing tour of 2023, according to Pollstar, garnering $268 million from 2.5 million attendees.
“In 2025, Mathematics Tour comes to an end,” said Sheeran in an Instagram post last week. “Gonna be hitting most of the other places we haven’t been to yet, but the first dates to go up will be the rest of Europe, more to follow.”
Local independent promoters recently spoke to IQ about how they are breaking ground in their markets with record ticket sales for Sheeran’s 2024 European dates.
Sheeran is represented by agents Marty Diamond and Ash Lewis at Wasserman for US and Canada, and Jon Ollier at One Finiix Live for the rest of the world.
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Tons of Rock becomes Norway’s largest festival
Norwegian festival Tons of Rock has smashed its attendance record, welcoming 150,000 visitors to last week’s instalment.
This marks a 50% increase from the previous record year 2023 and sees the festival become the largest in Norway, according to the organisers.
The 10th edition of Tons of Rock drew visitors from over 80 countries to Ekebergsletta park in Oslo between 26–29 June.
Metallica, Tool, Judas Priest, ZZ Top and Greta Van Fleet headlined the Live Nation Norway-promoted event, while domestic acts on the bill included Seigmen, Abbath, Satyricon and rising stars like Nova Twins & Skynd.
“This was a truly magic moment that summarised the historical weekend in Oslo”
“The feedback from the artists themselves was overwhelming as they loved the unique and beautiful festival site in Oslo,” says Tons of Rock general manager Jarle Kvåle.
“The backstage ambience was special in the sense of unity and passion for music. This was manifested during the brilliant Turnstile performance when James Hetfield and Rob Halford were rocking out on the side stage enjoying the new blood of rock and roll. This was a truly magic moment that summarised the historical weekend in Oslo, underlining the festival slogan.”
Tons of Rock was acquired by Live Nation Norway in 2019 following a longstanding partnership. Since the first edition, they have worked together to secure acts including Slayer, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Ghost and Five Finger Death Punch, among others.
That same year, the rock and metal festival moved from its home of Fredriksten Fortress in Halden to Ekebergsletta in Oslo in order to increase the capacity.
Tons of Rock was the first Norwegian event to cancel its 2021 edition due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It did, however, receive NOK 36.1 million (€3.1m) in compensation from the Norwegian government’s scheme for organisers and subcontractors in the cultural sector.
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Peer Osmundsvaag exits All Things Live to go solo
Friction and Atomic Soul Booking founder Peer Osmundsvaag has gone solo following a five-year stint with Nordic live entertainment giant All Things Live (ATL).
The Norway-based promoter’s businesses were among six Scandinavian companies united by Netherlands-based multinational investment firm Waterland Private Equity to form ATL, which launched in 2019. ATL also acquired one of Norway’s largest independent festival organisers, HES, last year.
“I’ve had a great five years with the fantastic team at All Things Live and have many fond memories, but the restless soul in me felt it was time for new adventures,” Osmundsvaag tells IQ.
Osmundsvaag has brought acts such as Eminem, Bon Jovi, Prince, Robbie Williams, Leonard Cohen, Andrea Bocelli, Justin Bieber, Michael Buble, Bruno Mars, Rammstein, Green Day, Lana Del Rey and Ellie Goulding to Norway.
In the wake of his departure from ATL, he plans to focus on his own festival, Oslo’s Piknik i Parken (Picnic in the Park) – aka PiPFest – which he founded in 2014. PipFest’s most recent edition took place last month, headed by Stormzy, Massive Attack, Tom Odell and L’Impératrice.
“I’m looking forward to getting my hands dirty, getting back in the trenches and focusing on developing the festival,” says Osmundsvaag. “It’s an inner-city event based on the total experience rather than being purely headliner-driven and we’ve seen lovely, organic growth, which took us by surprise.
“We had a 30% increase from 2023 to this year and a record turnout. It’s 8,000-cap at the moment, but we’re going to expand to a third stage for next year, which will bring it up to 12,000.”
“AURORA has been on our wish list for many years, so we’re very happy to finally got that locked in early”
PiPFest has announced Norwegian superstar AURORA as its first headliner for 2025, which will be held at Sofienbergparken from 12-14 June. Early bird three-day passes priced NOK1,560 (€136) have already sold out. Full price admission will cost NOK2,600, with day tickets available for NOK1,300.
“AURORA has been on our wish list for many years, so we’re very happy to finally got that locked in early,” says Osmundsvaag. “The only show she will be doing in eastern Norway next year will be with us. We only have eight or nine artists per day, which makes it fun but harder to programme as every act has to count.”
The veteran promoter, who was also booker and co-founder of Norway’s Hove Festival, oversaw the two largest ticketed live music events in Norway’s history – Eminem at Oslo’s Voldslokka, which drew 55,000 people in 2018, and Rammstein, who pulled 60,000 fans to Bjerke Travbane horse track in 2022. In 2017, he was awarded the culture prize by the Major of Oslo for “helping to put Oslo on the map as one of the world’s best concert cities”.
Osmundsvaag moved into clubs and ticketed events after starting out as a DJ and free party organiser in Cheltenham, UK in the 80s. Working with rave music promoter Fantazia, he sold 120,000 copies of Fantazia Club Classics as ‘DJ Peer’.
He later toured with British pop group D-Ream as their DJ in 1993/94 before moving back to his native Norway. Following spells as booker for Quart Festival and running clubs in Oslo in the late 90s, he switched to concert promotion and started Atomic Soul in 2001.
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Oslo racetrack upgrade planned to attract top acts
Oslo’s new city council has revealed it plans to invest millions to upgrade an outdoor concert venue in a bid to entice leading international touring artists to Norway.
The Norwegian capital’s Bjerke Travbane racetrack welcomed a 60,000-cap show by Rammstein in July 2022, and the authority is setting aside NOK 5.3 million (€449,400) in next month’s revised budget for improvements to the site, with a target completion date of summer 2025.
VG reports that politicians were compelled to act after Stockholm’s Friends Arena in neighbouring Sweden was selected to host the three Scandinavian dates on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, and decided that enhancing an existing venue would provide a fast and cost-effective option.
“For us, it has been important to get this in place, and quickly, because the city needs it,” says Hallstein Bjerck, city councillor for finance. “We will not stand by and watch Taylor Swift go to Stockholm, and not to Oslo.”
Bjerke Travbane general manager Hilde Apneseth says it would also be possible to stage concerts on a smaller scale at the outdoor venue, perhaps of around 30,000-capacity.
“We hope that there will be concerts several times during the year, especially in the period from mid-June to mid-August,” she adds.
“It will still be a big challenge to get Coldplay, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and so on to say ‘yes’ even though we have Bjerke”
The move has been backed by All Things Live Norway‘s Peer Osmundsvaag, who says: “This will avoid many one-off costs, so you can lower the threshold. There are several Norwegian bands that can sell 20,000 tickets here. If you manage to do this, you can perhaps get between six and 10 concerts during a season.”
However, Live Nation Norway general manager Martin Nielsen sounds a note of caution, warning that many of the biggest acts will still prefer to play stadiums, both for financial and production reasons.
“It will still be a big challenge to get Coldplay, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and so on to say ‘yes’ even though we have Bjerke,” he tells VG. “In a stadium, you can operate with several price ranges, preferably seven or eight different ones, and then sell the best seats at a higher price.
“In a flat area like Bjerke, you can at best have one slightly more expensive ‘golden circle’ near the stage, while the other tens of thousands become standing room with the same price for everyone. If you only have two ticket price levels, it will obviously be much more difficult to maximise income.”
Despite bringing Bruce Springsteen to Oslo for two nights last summer to 50,000-cap greenfield site Voldslokka, Nielsen warned in IQ‘s 2023 Global Promoters Report that a dearth of suitable venues for the largest productions was a major obstacle.
“A key issue is that we don’t have a big stadium in Norway,” he said. “A lot of the tours are built for stadiums, and they don’t want to play [in Norway] unless it’s a stadium.”
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25 years of Øya Festival: ‘It’s been a fun ride’
Øya Festival chief Claes Olsen has looked back on the history of the event as it prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary this summer.
The 22,000-cap gathering, which is one of Norway’s leading festivals, will reach the milestone at Oslo’s Tøyen Park from 6-10 August, topped by PJ Harvey, Pulp, Queens of the Stone Age, Gabrielle and Janelle Monáe.
Speaking to IQ, the Øya founder, owner and booker reveals that tickets are moving at an impressive pace.
“I think it’s the third best year ever at the moment, so I hope that we will be sold out.” says Olsen.
Since launching in 1999, Øya has hosted the likes of Arctic Monkeys, The Cure, Lana Del Rey, Beck, Blur, Kendrick Lamar, Florence and the Machine, The Stone Roses, Björk, Kanye West and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
“Time flies,” says Olsen. “It’s crazy, but it’s been a long ride – a fun ride – and I don’t regret anything about it at all.”
“Everything was so strict in the 90s. If you listened to one kind of music, you couldn’t listen to another. There were so many unwritten rules”
Reflecting on the festival’s origins, Olsen says it was developed initially to help highlight the domestic live music sector, but has evolved its output through the years as the public’s musical preferences have become less tribal.
“We were friends running tiny, 100 to 300-cap venues in Oslo and saw this emerging scene of new artists that weren’t getting to play festivals in Norway,” he remembers. “There were very few festivals at that time and they were hard to get into for domestic acts, so the original idea was to showcase the scene.
“These acts would be selling 200-400 tickets each because it was a small market at that time, so we thought, ‘Okay, they’ll sell 300, they’ll sell 400, they’ll sell 500,’ and added it all up. But you can’t do that because it’s a lot of the same people buying tickets and the lineup was not that diverse.”
He continues: “There has been a slow evolution both of our own music tastes, and also the general perception of music. Especially in the 90s, everything was so strict: if you listened to one kind of music, you couldn’t listen to another, and there were so many unwritten rules at that time.
“That slowly changed for us, but part of the festival’s DNA is to still be part of the local music scene and so around 50% of acts playing the festival are still domestic. We’ve spent a lot of time booking them but also marketing them and putting in a lot of effort to keep them growing.”
“We had Sonic Youth as the headliner [in 2005] and that was a shift. After that, it became easier to book international artists”
Olsen regards the 2005 edition as a turning point in the festival’s history.
“We had Sonic Youth as the headliner, and that was a shift that got us more attention internationally,” he recalls. “After that, it became easier to book international artists, so 2005 was a particular highlight.”
Øya entered into an investment agreement with Superstruct Entertainment in 2018, with the festival’s senior leadership joining Superstruct’s management team. However, Olsen says it has largely been “business as usual” since the deal.
“I feel like everything we agreed upfront is what they are doing, so we have managed to retain that independent feeling, which is important for us,” he says. “We’re a group of people who are doing this for the love of the music.”
Alongside this year’s Thursday night headliner Monáe, other acts announced for the 2024 bill today include Jorja Smith, Jessie Ware (who performed her first ever show in Europe at Øya in 2008), Slowdive, Thee Sacred Souls and Seyi Vibez.
“You’ve got to be on your toes and deliver every year so that people keep coming back”
Olsen reveals a series of special events are also being lined up to mark the festival’s silver anniversary.
“In the first year, the festival was held in June, so we are going to do a couple of things in Oslo around the date in June, and then some special shows at the actual festival,” he says. “But most of the other stuff is business as usual – you’ve got to be on your toes and deliver every year so that people keep coming back.”
Week passes are priced at 4,169 NOK (approximately €355), while individual day tickets are 1,454 NOK (€124), while discounted weekly passes for 12 to 17-year-olds are already sold out for 2024. Organisers have also introduced premium Øya Pluss tickets, offering access to the guest area.
“We did it for the first time last year, instead of increasing the price of general admission tickets,” explains Olsen. “That has helped a bit, but of course costs are increasing a lot. So it’s not easy, but we have to work hard on other income streams.”
Olsen acknowledges, however, that being on the frontline in the Norwegian live business is far from straightforward at present – especially given the exchange rate.
“Since this is an anniversary year, we have tried to look backwards a little bit, but also be very current”
“It’s not been easy; it’s been really hard work,” he says. “We are in huge trouble with the Norwegian currency, so it’s super-cheap for people to come to Norway, but for us to book artists, paying in euros and dollars, is insane. Back in 2011, the dollar was 5 NOK and now it’s 11 NOK, so it’s more than doubled and that’s a significant change.
“Apart from that, we’re really happy with the programme; it’s very diverse. Since this is an anniversary year, we have tried to look backwards a little bit, but also be very current. That mix is super-important. It’s something that we have always done, but have maybe had a bit more focus on it this year.”
Øya has also maintained its commitment to gender equality, having achieved a 50/50 split between male and female artists on the bill since 2017.
“The first year where we had 50/50 on the headliners was 2010 when we had M.I.A. and Robyn,” he remembers. “It was hard but we had confidence about what was coming through and felt it would get easier. I think we have 56% female-led acts this year in the total, so it’s not a problem anymore at all.”
The festival’s sustainability efforts, meanwhile, have seen it honoured at both the European Festival Awards and A Greener Festival Awards. Examples of its environmentally responsible practices include running the event entirely free of fossil fuels, using renewable power for 98% of its requirements, and hand-sorting waste to ensure that 75% of it can be recycled.
“Our sustainability work is something we started back in 2004, so it’s actually the 20-year anniversary for that.” notes Olsen. “We try to push the boundaries of what’s achievable and be a frontrunner when it comes to sustainability, and also in a broader way with equality and being a safe space.”
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Norwegian trade body unveils new board
Norway’s trade association has unveiled its new board for the 2023-2024 period.
Márkomeannu festival director Ane Margrethe Ugelvik has been elected to the board of the Norwegian Cultural Organisers (NKA), alongside Jungelen founder and general manager Simon Alejandro Larsen. Bergen-based cultural organisation Jungelen stages club and concert series, as well as Jungelfest.
NKA has also welcomed three new deputies: Oslo Urban Week programme manager Linnéa Elisabeth Svensson, Tromsø International Film Festival boss Lisa Hoen and Trondheim Calling GM Eirik Brevik.
“It’s a good combination of new and old faces”
“It’s a good combination of new and old faces,” says NKA chair Trude Storheim. “There is a broadly composed board in terms of background, experience and competence, which is already enthusiastically getting started with the work. It bodes well for the important work the board is set to do.”
The new board members will succeed Marit Over-Rein Stokkenes, Sandra Márjá West, Åsa Paaske Gulbrandsen, Morten Wien and Runa Lunde Strindin.
Established in 1982, NKA’s international name is Norwegian Live. The Oslo-headquartered body represents more than 500 members, including festivals, clubs, venues, concert associations, student societies, libraries, museums and concert and cultural centres.
PHOTO (BACK L-R): Roza Aghili Taslimi, Lisa Hoen, Simon Alejandro Larsen, Trude Storheim, Ane Margrethe Ugelvik. (FRONT L-R): Runar Eggesvik, Per-Harald Nilsson, Linnéa Elisabeth Svensson, Gøran Aamodt
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Norway’s largest arena inks Ticketmaster deal
Norway’s largest arena has confirmed it has renewed its partnership with Ticketmaster Norway.
The 23,000-cap Telenor Arena has hosted acts such as The Weeknd, Post Malone, Depeche Mode and Robbie Williams in the past year alone, with Olivia Rodrigo lined up to perform in 2024.
Ticketmaster Norway will serve as the venue’s official ticketing partner, offering cutting-edge technology, marketing outreach and expertise.
“We are pleased to have Ticketmaster on our side – their innovative and robust solutions, extensive marketing reach and decades of expertise are essential to our success,” says Kjetil Bell Tveit, CEO at Telenor Arena. “We look forward to continuing working together to enhance the fan experience, both inside and outside the arena.”
“Together, we’re taking live entertainment in Norway to new heights”
Since opening in 2009, the venue has welcomed the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Adele, Foo Fighters, the Rolling Stones, Beyoncé, AC/DC, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Tina Turner, Paul McCartney and Jay-Z, as well as the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest.
“We are honoured to partner with the Norwegian cultural hub that is Telenor Arena,” says Kristian Seljeset, MD of Ticketmaster Norway. “Together, we’re taking live entertainment in Norway to new heights. It’s all about facilitating those unforgettable moments for fans at this iconic venue, and we can’t wait to get started.”
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Global Citizen Festival raises $240m in commitments
Global Citizen Festival has garnered $240 million in commitments from France and Norway to address the global hunger crisis.
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ms. Lauryn Hill and Jung Kook of BTS headlined the festival on the Great Lawn of Central Park, in New York City, on Saturday (23 September).
The 2023 edition saw major progress in addressing the world’s worsening food insecurity crisis. Emmanuel Macron, president of France, announced via video message a $150m commitment to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) – which marked the largest commitment to the fund by any government this year.
While, Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Norway’s minister of international development, also pledged $90m to the fund.
Global Citizen is continuing to call on world leaders to increase their contributions to IFAD by at least 50% to ensure the agency reaches its funding target of $2 bn by the end of 2023.
“Climate change can’t hit pause while world leaders get their act together’
Tickets to Global Citizen Festival were free but attendees were required to join the organisation’s campaign to raise awareness about hunger, poverty, climate change and inequities facing women around the world, among other related concerns.
The event generated 3.3 million actions taken by global citizens around the world.
“At a time when some leaders are walking back their promises, your actions deliver impact,” says Hugh Evans, co-founder and CEO, Global Citizen. “So don’t stop taking action. Climate change can’t hit pause while world leaders get their act together. So don’t stop. The poorest people on Earth don’t have decades to spare. So don’t stop. We can’t wait for someone else to take action. We have to take action now.”
Global Citizen Festival also included a tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip hop which featured surprise performances from Busta Rhymes, Common, Big Daddy Kane and Rapsody alongside D-Nice.
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Skyrocketing prices wipe out Norwegian festivals
Several mid-sized Norwegian festivals have cancelled their 2023 editions due to “skyrocketing” costs, with some axed indefinitely.
Beitostølen Live, a two-day festival that takes place at the base of the Jotunheimen mountains in southern Norway, is the latest victim.
“It is with a heavy heart that Beitostølen Live saw no other way out than to announce a tender,” reads a statement on the festival’s website. “After difficult years of pandemic and war in Europe, our festival concept, the public’s buying habits and the industry in general have changed significantly. With increasing competition, rising prices, demands for advance payment at all stages, failing ticket sales both this year and last year, less sponsorship income and the absence of public financial support, the math unfortunately does not add up.”
Launched in 2019, the festival has seen performances from Sting, Bonnie Tyler and Wyclef Jean.
Elsewhere, Kadetten – a hip-hop festival launched in 2022 that featured Megan Thee Stallion, Central Cee and Burna Boy – cancelled its 2023 edition earlier this year.
“Our festival concept, the public’s buying habits and the industry in general have changed significantly”
“The cancellation comes solely from the costs of the artists and availability in 2023,” wrote Kadetten organisers. “The prices of everything have skyrocketed, in addition, the predictability for American artists has become a logistical nightmare with flights etc.”
Other festivals that will not return in 2023 include the 19-year-old Skral in Grimstad, Oslo Americana (and its sister events in Sweden) and Festival Imperium.
Siri Haugan Holden, general manager of Norwegian Culture Organizers (NKA) says that with rising costs and increased competition it’s not surprising that more organisers see themselves having to cancel.
She goes on to say that the market has sharpened and the association is seeing a greater divide where the big organisers with significant financial muscle are pulling away from the rest.
“The fact that the public is not quite back to the same level as before the pandemic makes it difficult for the organisers to raise the prices as much as the costs rise,” said Holden. “This has put the organisers in a difficult situation, where they may eventually have to cancel.”
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